Racing’s view of its most famous jockey is easily gauged by the title of the
race in which he will make his comeback after a six-month suspension for
using cocaine.

The “Welcome Back Frankie [Dettori] Maiden Stakes” at Leicester on Monday evokes a returning war hero rather than a rider who says he used recreational drugs to cope with the stress of losing his job with the Godolphin stable.

To clear the air this week Dettori spoke to Clare Balding on Channel 4: a standard PR tactic nowadays. Talking once on TV removes the need to repeat the story to the hundred journalists waiting in line with questions. It also adds a note of suffering, which increases public sympathy.

Until now Dettori has worked hard to cultivate an image of himself as racing’s foremost “personality”: a relentlessly cheerful jester and larker-about. The reality was always darker, and more in line with the austerity of the Flat jockey’s existence.

The Leicester race title suggests the sport he has helped to publicise will not be judging him for his transgression. It has a bigger drugs problem anyway with the Godolphin doping scandal.

His best bet now is to drop the poster boy routine and just be himself.